Beware of Red Flags: Dishonest, Disorganized, and Unsanitary Pet Sitting Service…read more
We almost learned the hard way what happens when you ignore red flags in favor of enthusiastic energy. Over 2.5 months, we rationalized this sitter's disorganization, unsanitary habits, and lack of experience out of desperation before a 10-day trip. Five days before our flight, she backed us into a corner to price-gouge us--demanding over 2.7x our agreed rate after sending 3 conflicting texts in a single day and creating fake policies on the spot. Shockingly, while attempting to demand this higher rate, she suddenly unveiled a hidden policy: claiming her top-tier "VIP 24/7" care allows her to sneak out and leave pets unattended for up to 4 hours a day to service other clients. Whether invented to manipulate us or concealed from the start, it reveals a complete lack of transparency and integrity.
Red Flag 1: Lack of Hygiene, Basic Safety, & Care Skills
*Dangerous Leash Handling: During a practice walk, the sitter kept the leash pulled taut with zero slack and repeatedly yanked our dog. We were extremely uncomfortable watching her essentially strangle our dog on the walk and had to explicitly coach her on how to give slack so he could maneuver. She admitted to having very little experience walking small dogs and it clearly showed.
*Unsanitary Waste Handling: When wiping our dog's rear after he went number 2, she wiped side-to-side, smearing feces all over her hand. She had no intention of washing her hands until we stopped by a public bathroom and forced her to wash them. Her excuse was that she "wasn't going to touch anything until she got home." She remained oblivious to the fact that she was actively holding our dog's leash, couldn't scoop him up if another dog approached, and was supposed to use those same hands to wipe his face with a cloth if our dog sniffed something super dirty.
*Gross Unsanitary Habits: She washed our dog's food bowl using only bare hands and water--completely bypassing the dish sponge sitting next to the sink. The bowl remained greasy and had to be rewashed.
*Food Safety Carelessness: Requested dark chocolate as her personal snack in a dog-centric home, showing a total lack of awareness around toxic food hazards.
Red Flag 2: Shifting Rates & Last-Minute Price Gouging From day one,
3/12/2026, we made it clear our dog cannot be left alone for more than 10 minutes due to severe separation anxiety (see screenshots). We hired her for 2 daycare sessions specifically to get her familiar with our dog and home--where her job was exceptionally easy as she basically laid on the couch the entire time.
On 7/28/2026, 11 days before claiming she didn't know our dog required 24/7 care, we sent our detailed boarding guide. She enthusiastically promised to review it, but her actions during demo day proved she never did. Later that day, she texted "I understand that Tofu shouldn't be left alone"--yet in the very next breath, bafflingly asked if she could leave him to go work out during his boarding stay, despite knowing full well he has severe separation anxiety.
On 8/7/2026, just 5 days before our first trip of two back to back, a series of bait-and-switch texts unfolded: (see screenshots)
1) 10:14 AM: Sitter texted asking if we would pay her "$190 VIP rate" instead, claiming 24/7 care normally costs $250-$300/day (a tier that did not exist on her website at the time).
2) 2:43 PM: We were okay paying more but asked her to honor her original quote of $180/day.
3) 3:17 PM: She ignored her proposed $190/day rate and tried to gouge us for $325/day.
4) 5:33 PM: Claimed her $190 VIP rate "still allows me about 4 hours during the day to care for other clients"--leaving dogs unattended and directly contradicting her website's claim of servicing "One family at a time."
Red Flag 3: Hidden Property Damage & Neglect
*Unreported Damage: She off-tracked and broke our patio screen door during daycare so it couldn't close. There was no way she was unaware, yet she offered zero mention or acknowledgment. We brought it up with her to emphasize trust and transparency.
*Neglecting Other Clients' Animals: During a 3-hour prep session and dinner with us, she disclosed she was actively house-sitting a 15-year-old dog with dementia elsewhere--leaving that vulnerable senior dog completely unattended for over 3 hours. This must be the VIP care package.
*Disorganization: Continually got dates wrong, miscounted booking days, and failed to follow basic written instructions despite a comprehensive guide with step-by-step photos.
Entrusting someone with your pet requires total transparency and basic care standards. When a sitter responds to clear expectations with price-gouging, disorganization, and unsanitary habits, the best decision is to walk away. Protect your pets and look elsewhere.